Unexpected
by CarolinaGal08
Summary: A year later, she still missed him every night, but Jules was doing her best to move on after breaking up with Sam. When fate throws an unexpected twist into her path, it leads her in directions she never could have imagined...when all is said and done, after the dust settles, will it be too late for destiny to lead her back to only place she ever felt at home?
1. Thicker Than Blood

**A/N:** Hi Flashpoint fans! This story picks up at the end of the episode "Thicker Than Blood," then loosely follows the events of the ensuing episodes…or how those episodes might have played out with one major twist in the show's storyline, which will be revealed by the end of this chapter. There will also be chapter in between or out of the scope of the show's episodes. I've never written for Flashpoint before, so I apologize for any errors in background that I might make. Please leave a review and let me know what you think!

* * *

_"So Jules…asking about kids?"_

_"Does nothing escape your notice?"_

Ed Lane sighed as he shoved his vest into his locker and stared at the pictures of his family stuck to the inside of the door. Greg may have dismissed it when he'd attempted to raise the subject on the drive to the credit union that morning - and granted, it had been a rather obvious attempt to change the subject away from his own marital drama - but after so many years of working together, he liked to think he could read any of his teammates pretty well. Something about the look on Jules Callaghan's face when she'd asked that question had been bothering him all day. He just couldn't quite put his finger on why.

"Hey."

Ed turned around as he heard footsteps and nodded as he came face to face with the woman he'd just been thinking about. "Hey," he said softly.

"Listen," Jules said, glancing down at her feet in a move Ed knew meant she was both nervous and slightly uncomfortable. "I, uh, I wanted to let you know if you ever need to talk…"

Ed smiled sadly, knowing that some of his teammates could read him just as well as he could read them. There were very few secrets among Team One. "It's okay," he said, hesitating for a moment. "But you know that goes both ways, right?"

Jules nodded. "You need any company?" she asked. "You want to go grab a bite?"

"I…" Ed started to refuse but then paused, glancing down at his watch as he silently calculated the time it would take him to drive out to his in-laws' place in the suburbs. "Okay. I could do with a quick burger."

Jules smiled. "Great," she said. "Meet you out front in five?"

"Yeah," Ed nodded. "Okay."

He waited until he heard the door close before turning back to his locker and taking one last look at his wife's picture. "Alright Jules, let's make this quick," he muttered. "I've got a family to get back to."

* * *

Ed took a long sip of his beer and leaned back in his chair as he watched Jules play with a french fry on her plate. They'd gone most of the meal with only a few words passing between them, and he knew it was going to take something big from him to shock her into coming clean about what was on her mind. He only hoped he hadn't completely misjudged the situation, because if he had, what he was about to do would be highly embarrassing.

"So," he said cautiously. "Exactly how far along are you?"

Jules nearly spit out her water before she quickly set her glass on the table and gaped at Ed. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You heard what I asked," Ed said calmly. "How far along are you?"

Jules frowned and leaned forward against the table, looking as though she were about to protest the question. A quick look at the concern in Ed's eyes, though, and she felt the fight leave her. "I'm not sure," she admitted reluctantly. "Probably about eight weeks."

"Have you seen a doctor?"

"Not yet," Jules said. "I have an appointment for my day off next week. But I took six at home tests, and they were all positive."

"Wow," Ed muttered, shaking his head. Even when he'd been asking the question, part of him had been sure she was going to deny it. "I don't quite know what to say, Jules."

"You know, that's pretty much exactly the reaction Steve had when I told him," Jules said.

"Is it his?"

Jules rolled her eyes. "No, Ed, I've been around on the side, just for kicks. Of course it's his."

"I didn't want to make any assumptions," Ed said, throwing his hands up in mock defeat. "I knew you'd had a few dates, but I didn't know it was that serious."

"I'm not really sure how serious it is," Jules admitted. "We've only slept together a few times."

"It only takes once," Ed pointed out, earning another eye roll from Jules. "At any rate, you're having a baby together."

"Maybe."

Ed frowned and looked at Jules in surprise. "Maybe?"

"I don't know. You should see Steve, Ed, he's so excited," Jules said. "He's probably out buying more onesies and bibs as we speak."

"Jules," he said carefully, his tone full of friendly concern. "How do _you_ feel about this?"

Jules bit her lip nervously and glanced down at her hands. She knew Ed loved his son, and she knew he was about to have a daughter he'd love just as much. She wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to understand the way she was feeling at that moment.

"Honestly?" she said with a heavy sigh. "I have no idea what to feel. Until I saw those damn lines on those tests a few weeks ago, I'd never given a whole lot of thought to the idea of having a baby of my own."

"And now?"

"I still don't know," Jules admitted. "I worked my ass off to get a spot on the SRU, Ed. I've had to work twice as hard as anyone else to keep my spot on the team secure and I…"

"Jules, you're one of the best cops I've ever worked with," Ed pointed out. "That isn't going to change just because you have a child."

"Not for you, maybe," Jules said. "But Ed, there are only two women in the entire SRU right now, and Donna Sabine isn't likely to be having a baby any time soon. If you think there aren't people - high-ranking people - in the department right now who would grab any excuse to get me out of the old boys' club permanently, then you need to take off those rose-colored glasses you're wearing. There's absolutely no precedent for this, Ed. There's never been a pregnant SRU officer."

"You've always been a trailblazer," Ed pointed out. "Why stop now?"

"Because there are department regulations about pregnant officers," Jules said. "SRU or not, they still apply."

"I take it you've done your research on those regulations?" Ed asked, knowing that he himself was somewhat ignorant on what the department required - after all, as Jules had pointed out, it had never been an issue any SRU team leader had had to deal with before this moment.

"You can't be in the field past the start of the second trimester," Jules said. "A pregnant officer has to transfer to a station-bound position within her unit. Which raises issue number one."

"There are no station-bound positions on an SRU team," Ed said knowingly.

"Exactly," Jules said. "The rules state that if there are no available positions within the unit, the pregnant officer has to transfer to another unit - without her spot in her regular unit being held. If I wanted to come back to the SRU after the baby was born, I'd have to requalify. I'd be starting from square one, Ed, and only when there happened to be an opening on one of the teams. It might not even be Team One."

"That's absurd," Ed said. "It takes months to go through the SRU process. People spend years on the qualified wait list. Those rules can't be right."

"It's not so bad if you're trying to get back to homicide or vice," Jules said. "When the rules were written, there were no women in any elite units, especially not the SRU. Ed, you know it took me years to even get a shot at trying out for the SRU, let alone being a member of Team One. I just don't know that I'm prepared to give that all up."

"Are you prepared to give up being a mother?" Ed asked hesitantly, holding his breath a bit as he waited for her response.

"Maybe," Jules said. "I was never one of those girls who sat around dreaming about a husband and kids, Ed. I'm not saying I don't like children, but I'm thirty four years old and I've never felt like I needed to have them to be complete or anything. I love my life and I don't think I feel like I'm missing anything."

"But you're still torn about what to do?"

"I grew up Catholic, Ed, and I still believe a lot of what I was taught," Jules said. "And I don't want to hurt Steve, because he's so excited about this baby. I just…I don't know what to do. I don't know what I want. And I don't know how to decide."

"What can I do to help?" Ed asked, reaching across the table and grabbing her hand as he saw the tears welling up in her eyes.

Jules shook her head and smiled sadly. "You're already doing it," she said. "I just need time, Ed. I need more time."


	2. Terror, Part I

**A/N:** Thank you all so much for all of the reviews and follows on the first chapter! I hope that you enjoy chapter two just as much! This chapter is the first of two that will deal with the events of the episode "Terror".

* * *

Jules winced as the gel hit her stomach and her doctor placed the ultrasound wand in the center of it. "Dr. Brown, I'm not an expert, but isn't it still a little early to be able to see much on an ultrasound?" she asked.

"Most likely, yes," the doctor agreed. "But I always like to do one at the first prenatal visit, just to make sure that we're estimating gestational age appropriately and that there are no red flags."

"Red flags? Like what?" Steve asked from his spot beside the exam table. "Should we be worried about something?"

"Relax, Steve, it's just a precaution," Jules said. "You shouldn't even be here yet."

"I don't care if you've made a decision yet or not," Steve said. "We're in this together, Jules, and that means you don't get to do this part without me."

Jules sighed and rolled her eyes, looking over at the monitor and then at the doctor, who was frowning as she looked intently at the screen.

"Dr. Brown?" Jules asked nervously. "_Is_ there something wrong?"

"Juliana, do I understand that you're not certain about continuing with this pregnancy?" Dr. Brown asked gently, removing the ultrasound wand and reaching for a cloth to wipe Jules' stomach.

"That's right," Jules said, not bothering to correct the older woman on her preferred name - she'd been seeing her since she first moved to Toronto more than fifteen years ago, so she figured if it hadn't sunk in yet, there was little use arguing the point. "Is that a problem?"

Dr. Brown shook her head and smiled. "Your decision is your decision," she said. "As your doctor, all I can do is advise you of your options. We don't perform the procedure here, but I can recommend a clinic if that's your decision. However, you do need to be aware that you're not eight weeks pregnant, Juliana."

"What?" Jules asked in surprise. "I'm not…but all those home tests…and you did a blood test…"

"You are pregnant," Dr. Brown assured her. "But based on this ultrasound, I'd say you're much closer to twelve weeks, which means if you are going to choose to not continue the pregnancy, you need to make that decision very quickly. Once you hit your second trimester, your options will be severely limited, which means you have about a week, maybe two."

"Oh God," Jules sighed.

"I'll let you get dressed and I'll meet the two of you in my office to talk a bit more about prenatal care, if that's the route you choose to take," Dr. Brown said, patting Jules on the hand before leaving the room.

Swinging her legs over the edge of the table and sitting up, Jules frowned when she saw a smirk on Steve's face. "What's so funny?" she asked impatiently.

"It's nothing," Steve assured her quickly. "It's just…well, when we thought you were eight weeks pregnant, that would put us at your house. But twelve weeks…"

"What?"

"Think about it, Jules," Steve said. "Where were we twelve weeks ago?"

Jules frowned and then her eyes grew wide. "Oh my God," she gasped. "Your parents' anniversary party."

"Exactly," Steve nodded. "I'm still sorry I had to drag you to that monstrosity, by the way."

"It wasn't all awful," Jules said. "When we snuck out to the back of the ranch and…oh…"

Steve smirked again. "I wonder what my mother would say if she ever found that her first grandchild was conceived in the back of my dad's old pickup truck."

"Oh my God, I'm a country cliche," Jules moaned. "Seriously, Steve? The pickup truck?"

"Can you think of any other time it could have happened?"

Jules frowned and shook her head. "No, I guess not," she conceded. "I'm going to kill you for this."

Steve laughed and handed her her dress. "Well, come on, let's talk to the doctor and then I'll buy you an ice cream cone before you murder me."

* * *

The early afternoon sun was shining brightly as Jules took her ice cream from the vendor and shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you remember that," she said.

"What, are you kidding?" Steve laughed as he took his change from the ice cream truck and followed her back to the sidewalk. "You singing _Everybody Hurts_?"

"Yeah, my REM phase," Jules said with a half-smile, taking a bit of her ice cream without waiting for him to reach her.

"Well, I couldn't take my eyes off you, so…" Steve said, falling into step beside her.

Jules rolled her eyes. "Are you sure it didn't have anything to do with what I was wearing, maybe?"

"Uh…black leather mini skirt, white tank top?" Steve teased as Jules laughed. "Seriously, though, you guys were good. You could have went on the road."

"I don't think so," Jules said, blushing slightly as she focused on the ice cream.

"Well I do," Steve said. "And I really hope the baby gets your voice and not mine."

"Steve…"

"You do remember high school choir, don't you?" Steve asked. "I couldn't carry a tune to save my life. Drove the rest of the class bananas."

"You know I haven't made a decision yet, Steve," Jules cautioned.

"Yeah, I know," Steve said, suddenly growing serious as he slowed down and Jules turned to face him. "But I have something to ask you."

"Steve…"

"No, just hear me out," Steve insisted. "Jules, I've been trying really hard to be supportive and understanding and to put myself in your shoes and understand where you're coming from here. But I don't get the impression that you're giving me the same courtesy. Jules, I _really_ want this baby. I know the timing is awful, but we've been seeing each other for a few months now and we've known each other for years, and that's got to count for something. I know you're not sure that you want to be a mother, and I don't want to force that on you, but please don't take away my chance to be a father."

"What are you saying, Steve?"

"I want this baby, and ideally, I'd like to raise this baby with you," Steve said. "But if you don't want that, if you want to just go back to life as it was, just agree to have the baby first. Take a few months off your job and give our baby a chance. I'll take it and raise it and you won't have to be a part of its life if you don't want to. Just please, have the baby."

"I dont…"

_Bang. Bang._

Steve flinched instinctively as an unmistakable sound rang out in the neighborhood. "What was that?"

"That was gunfire," Jules said, amazing even herself with the level of calmness she was able to maintain after so many hot calls had deadened her fight-or-flight response to danger.

"Here, hold on," Steve instructed, tossing his ice cream to the side and taking off toward the building that building were running away from.

"Steve, wait! Stop!" Jules called out, rushing after him, her cell phone clutched in her hand. Jules shook her head and tried to dial as she sprinted after him, silently cursing her choice to wear even low heels that afternoon.

"Winnie, it's Jules," she said when she heard the click on the other end of the line.

_"Oh, hey," Winnie said, spinning around in her chair and smiling as she heard her coworker's voice. "You enjoying your day off?"_

"I've got shots fired," Jules said quickly, glancing up at the building she was approaching. "Inside the Sultan Grill at the Danforth.

_Winnie's smile immediately faded as she sprung into action and motioned for Spike and Sam to approach the desk. "Guys, guys!" she called out before pressing her headset to her ear. "Are you okay?"_

"We're outside the restaurant right now," Jules said.

_"Is the shooter still inside?"_

Jules leaned around to try to get a better look. "I can't see," she said.

"Someone's shot, Jules," Steve said, leaning back away from the door. "I gotta…"

"No, Steve," Jules cautioned, already guessing by the look in his eyes that her pleas would fall on deaf ears. "We need to wait for backup, the shooter might still be in there."

* * *

This was not how her day off was supposed to go. All Jules had intended to do was make a quick trip to the doctor so that she had all the facts, spend a little time with Steve to try to get him to understand where she was coming from with her decision, and then go home and rest. Even when she'd followed Steve into the restaurant, she'd thought that her training would allow her resolve the situation quickly and keep everyone inside safe. Clearly, none of that had been the cards for her, and she silently cursed her luck as dropped to her knees beside Steve and grabbed his hand as she saw the blood from the gunshot wound begin to soak through his white shirt.

"Steve," she whispered fearfully.

"I'm okay," he assured her quietly, his voice shaking as he struggled with the pain.

"Just lie still," she instructed him and the waitress whose life he'd saved. Silently, she prayed that her team would make a move soon, because as much as she liked to think that she could control situation, she wasn't sure she could do that _and_ focus on keeping Steve alive at the same time.

The minutes seemed to fly by as things rapidly went from bad to worse within the restaurant. First the shooter had turned on them, dragging the waitress away and tying her to a chair while ranting about a bomb that no one else seemed to be able to see. Now, Steve was slipping into shock and there was nothing that she could do but watch as his breathing grew shallower, he began to shiver in spite of the afternoon heat, and the bleeding from his wound continued despite her efforts to stop it.

"I'm an idiot," he whispered.

Jules shook her head and struggled to hold back the tears in her eyes. "You're not," she assured him. "It's not your fault."

"No," Steve whispered, clenching his teeth slightly against the pain. "I mean I shouldn't have waited so long to ask you out."

"Hey, let's save the death bed confession for fifty years from now, okay?"

"You gonna be there?" Steve asked, taking another increasingly shaky breath.

Jules hesitated for a moment. "Yeah," she whispered, looking down at his wound to avoid looking him in the eye. "Yeah, I'm gonna be there."

Steve smiled and closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to steady his breathing. Jules was grateful she hadn't had to look him in the eye - she wasn't sure she could have dealt with seeing the seeing the relief in his eyes when she knew she hadn't wanted to give that answer. She wasn't sure exactly what else she was supposed to say to someone who might be dying right in front of her. _No, I don't think so_, didn't sound quite right. And she was certain, _You're just not who I see when I close my eyes_, wouldn't have helped Steve's morale either. She wasn't sure she'd call what she had said a lie, because even she didn't know who she would be with in fifty years. All she knew was that the person she did she when she thought about it was not an option, and if stretching the truth a bit gave Steve the motivation he needed to hang on until Team One got them out, then she was okay with it.


	3. Terror, Part II

**A/N:** Here we are, the second and final chapter to deal with the "Terror" episode. In Chapter 4, we'll move on to "No Promises" and then there'll be a non-episode chapter. I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

She knew it would be Sam. She couldn't say how, but she knew he was coming even before he burst into the restaurant, barking orders like the leader that she knew he could be. It was almost as though she'd felt his presence, as impossible as she knew it sounded. One quick look and she knew exactly how he wanted to play this, knew exactly what part she needed to play. As Sam connected with the shooter, she slowly made her approach behind him, and with one quick nod from Sam, she had the gun in her hands and the shooter on the floor.

Standing beside the now-handcuffed shooter, she met Sam's gaze as he looked up and she found herself unable to look away.

"Thank you," she said, at a loss for the appropriate words.

Sam hesitated, looking as though he were going to say something, when he glanced away and his gaze fell on Steve's near-lifeless body. "EMS, we need EMS in here now!" he called through his headset.

And with that, reality set in again as Jules handed him the shooter's weapon and dropped back to Steve's side.

"Jules…"

"Hey, hang in there," Jules said, running her hand along Steve's cheek, still feeling Sam's gaze on her back. "It's over, you're going to be just fine."

"Maureen," Steve whispered, his voice shaking and barely audible.

"What?" Jules asked in confusion, leaning in more closely.

"If…if it's…a girl," Steve said, struggling to keep his breathing under control. "Maureen…after my grandmother…"

Jules nodded, tears in her eyes as the paramedics finally knelt down across from her and she felt them move her hands off his wound. "We'll have plenty of time to talk about all of that," she assured him.

"Ma'am, we need some space to work," one of the paramedics said gently, her hand on Jules' shoulder. "You can meet us outside and ride with him to the hospital if you'd like."

* * *

With all the debriefing interviews and paperwork he had to fill out, it was nearly midnight by the time Sam made it to the hospital. He knew he ought to have gone straight home and gone to sleep like the rest of the team had intended to do, but somehow, he couldn't bring himself to do that until he knew that Jules was okay - even if what was hurting her now was her concern for someone else.

He still couldn't quite believe that she'd actually gone to the hospital with Steve instead of suiting up and joining the rest of the team in the hunt for the bomber. Day off or not, his Jules would never, ever walk away in the middle of a hot call, not for anyone. Something was going on, and he was determined to find out what it was.

"Did you get him?" Jules asked, not looking up from the stain she was staring at on the carpet when Sam walked into the surgical waiting room.

"Clive set off the toxin before we could talk him down," Sam said, taking a seat next to her. "Five people are still critical, but there were no fatalities. We got lucky."

Jules nodded. "That's good," she said.

"Any word on Steve?" Sam asked, the other man's name almost sticking in his throat.

Jules shook her head and sighed. "They've had him in surgery all evening," she said. "I keep expecting the doctor to walk through the door, but I guess no news is good news, right?"

"Sure," Sam said, instinctively reaching out and squeezing her hand. "It'll work out, Jules. I promise."

"You can't…"

"Ms. Callaghan?"

Jules was on her feet before the doctor had even finished saying her name, Sam right beside her with his hand on the small of her back.

"Is he alright?" she asked anxiously. "Is he going to be okay?"

The doctor hesitated, glancing over at Sam before looking back at Jules. "Ms. Callaghan, your boyfriend was very lucky. The bullet missed all his organs. We did have to remove his spleen to combat internal bleeding, but he should recover just fine."

"Thank God," Jules sighed, not daring to look over at Sam after the way she felt his hand clench at the doctor's reference to her boyfriend. "Can I see him?"

"Not right now, I'm afraid," the doctor said. "He's going to be in recovery for a few hours before we move him to a regular room. Once he's there, you're welcome to go sit with him, but I wouldn't expect him to wake up until at least tomorrow. His body has been through a great deal and needs time to recover."

"Of course," Jules said. "Thank you."

The doctor nodded. "Feel free to have one of the nurses call me if you have any questions."

"You should go home, Jules," Sam suggested as the doctor left the room. "Get some rest, come back in the morning when Steve's awake."

Jules shook her head. "How can you even suggest that?" she asked. "I have to be here."

"Jules, you're not going to do anyone any good wearing yourself out," Sam said. "Today's been an emotionally exhausting day and…"

Jules scoffed. "Oh, you have no idea. But I'm not leaving him here alone, Sam. I owe him that much."

"Jules, I get it, you're concerned," Sam said impatiently. "But you have to take care of yourself."

"Don't you dare lecture me on taking care of myself," Jules snapped angrily, her voice rising in a way Sam knew she never would have allowed it to if she'd been with any other member of their team. "I'm a grown woman, Sam Braddock, I can make my own decisions. I don't need you or any other man sweeping in and trying to fix things for me!"

"Jules…"

"Just go," she insisted, pointing toward the door. "Just…oh God!"

Sam was at her side almost immediately as she doubled over in pain, clutching at her stomach. "Jules? Jules, what's wrong?"

"Oh God, get help…" she gasped. "Sam, the baby…call the doctor…"

His instinct to protect her was so strong, Sam didn't even have time to process the words she'd said. He was out the door and screaming for help without a second thought to what she'd just told him.

"What happened?" a nurse asked as she rushed into the room.

"I'm not sure," Sam said, watching helplessly as the nurse helped an obviously hurting Jules into a wheelchair. "We were talking and then she grabbed her stomach."

"Ms. Callaghan? Can you tell me what happened?"

"The baby," Jules gasped again, tears in her eyes as she clutched her stomach. "My baby…"

* * *

_A baby_. Sam let the words roll around in his head as he sat at Jules' bedside, watching as she slept. It hadn't been until one nurse was pushing him out of an exam room while another was wheeling in a portable ultrasound machine that her words had hit him. Jules was in pain and worried about a baby. _Her_ baby.

Her baby with _Steve_. Sam shuddered at the thought. It wasn't that he didn't like the paramedic or that he thought he was a bad guy in any way. He was pretty sure that he would have felt the exact same way about the thought of any man having been with Jules in that way. He knew it was naive to think that she wouldn't move on - after all, he'd been on his share of dates since their breakup too. Still, something about the knowledge that she was going to be having another man's baby made him want to punch a wall. That wasn't moving on, that was moving to a whole other universe.

"Sam?"

Her voice was so quiet and timid, he almost didn't recognize it as hers at first. Looking up, he smiled as he met her eyes. "Hey you. How do you feel?"

"Tired, sluggish," she admitted. "What happened?"

"You had a panic attack, Jules," Sam said. "You were tired, you hadn't eaten, and the doctor thinks it was just one stressor too many. They gave you a mild sedative to calm you down, but that should wear off soon."

Jules nodded, looking like there was something else she wanted to ask but could quite bring herself to vocalize.

Sam took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "The baby's fine, Jules. You didn't lose it."

"Really?"

Sam nodded. "They did an ultrasound and the doctor said everything looks fine. It was just a panic attack."

"The baby's alright," Jules repeated quietly, still trying to convince herself.

"Hey, don't cry," Sam said, reaching out and wiping a tear from her cheek. "Everything's going to be alright."

"I thought I was being punished," Jules admitted tearfully. "I wasn't going to have the baby."

Sam squeezed her hand, not wanting to say anything for fear she'd interpret it as judgment on her decision.

"That's why I haven't told the team," she continued. "I really didn't think I was going to have this baby. I thought I could do, I thought I could not have it. And then upstairs, in the waiting room…when I felt that pain, I thought I'd lost the baby and all I could think about was that I'd never get to see what he looked like."

"He?"

Jules blushed and shrugged. "Or she, I suppose. Call it an instinct. Of course, Steve thinks it's going to be a girl."

"Of course he does." Sam couldn't help the way his jaw clenched slightly every time she said the other man's name.

"Sam…"

"I should probably get going," he said, quickly standing up. "Are you coming in tomorrow?"

Jules shook her head. "I talked to the boss earlier and arranged for a few days off. Steve's parents decided it wasn't worth it fly back from Europe, so I'm going to stay with him."

"Their son gets shot and it's not worth it come home?" Sam asked incredulously. "And I thought the General was bad…"

Jules almost laughed. "Oh, trust me, Sam. General Braddock has nothing on James and Patricia Morgan. Do you have to go?"

Sam hesitated but eventually nodded. "I've got a shift in the morning, I need to get some sleep, Jules. I'll try to stop by after shift tomorrow, but if not, I'll see you back at the barn in a few days."

Jules sighed as she watched Sam walk out of the room, a bit taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor. She supposed she couldn't expect too much though - after all, what sort of ex-boyfriend really wants to sit around and hear you talk about a baby with someone else? Somehow, though, she knew he wasn't going to be coming by after shift, and since she also knew that the only time she'd be going back to SRU headquarters any time soon would be to turn in her transfer request and clean out her locker, she wondered if that was the last time she was going to see more than a passing glimpse of Sam Braddock.


	4. No Promises

**A/N:** This chapter references, very briefly, the events of 'No Promise', but is not centered around it like previous chapters were. That episode was really very Spike-centered, and there wasn't a whole lot I felt I could do with it in terms of Jules' story other than have the events be there in the background. Please enjoy!

* * *

Ed knew something was up the moment he saw her leaning against her Jeep in the parking lot when he pulled up just before six in the morning. It had been more than a week since the shooting at the restaurant and he knew there was only so much vacation time that she'd be allowed to take, so it wasn't the fact that she was there that bothered him. There was something about the look on her face as she stared up at headquarters, though, that sent red flags up in his mind the minute he saw her.

"You're here awfully early," he observed, walking up beside her and leaning against the Jeep in a position that mimicked hers.

Jules jumped slightly at the unexpected sound, relaxing when she realized it was Ed. "I suppose I am," she agreed, glancing down at her watch. "I guess I couldn't sleep."

"How's Steve doing?"

"Great. He's doing great," Jules said, nervously adjusting the folder she was clutching in her hands. "They're talking about releasing him in the next few days."

"I'm sure he's looking forward to getting home."

"Well, uh, he's not exactly going home when he gets out," Jules said. "His place is a fourth floor walk-up, not exactly what the doctor might recommend for healing a five inch surgical incision in the abdomen."

"I suppose not," Ed agreed. "So where's he going?"

"He's, uh, he'll be moving in with me for a few weeks," Jules admitted. "Just temporarily, of course. Until he gets back on his feet."

"That's very generous of you."

Jules shrugged. "I couldn't very well risk him ripping his stitches out every time he needs groceries," she said. "I'm going to need him healed and healthy soon enough. After all, he is the father of my baby."

Ed looked over at her in surprise. "I take it that means you made your decision?"

Jules nodded and handed him the folder. "I'm meeting with Sarge before shift to get his signature on those."

Ed sighed as he looked down at the paperwork in his hands. "You're having the baby?"

Jules nodded. "I'm having the baby," she repeated, sounding almost as if she still didn't quite comprehend the situation. "I don't know if I'm cut out to be a mother, Ed, but I do know that Steve will be a great father. So at least maybe one of us won't screw up the kid."

"Don't sell yourself short, Jules," Ed said. "You're going to be a great mother. I wish it didn't mean that we had to lose you, but…"

"Hey, don't think you're getting rid of me that easily, Ed Lane," Jules cautioned. "I don't like that I have to leave Team One, and I sure as hell don't like that I'm going to have to start from square one when I'm ready to come back, but I don't care if I have to take on the entire Metro PD, you mark my words, I _will_ be an SRU officer again."

* * *

"This is a joke, right?"

Greg Parker set the stack of forms down on the table in the briefing room and stared at the woman sitting across from him. She'd been off work for nearly a week, so when he saw her walk into headquarters that morning, he'd assumed she was there to return to work a day early. He prided himself on his ability to read his team, but in this case, he felt completely blindsided by her real reason for needing to see him.

"Do I look like I find this funny?" Jules asked. "Trust me, I'd rather not be doing this, Boss, but I don't have a choice in the matter."

"Jules, a request for a transfer is a serious thing," Greg said. "You can't just undo this at the drop of a hat. You worked so hard to get back onto the team after you got shot, and now you're just going to walk away?"

Jules sighed, knowing he hadn't seen more than _Departmental Transfer Request_ heading before reacting. "I don't want to do this, Sarge, but I have to," she said. "Top of page two, second question."

Greg frowned and picked up the page. "Reason for request," he read aloud, his frown deepening as he saw the reason she had checked. "Medical? Jules, are you sick?"

Jules shook her head. "Not sick. Pregnant."

"Pregnant? Now you're really joking, aren't you?"

"I wouldn't joke about something like this, Boss."

"And you want to transfer out of the SRU because you're worried about its effect on the baby?"

Jules sighed. It seemed she was the only one in SRU who'd ever bothered reading the department's policies on pregnant employees. "Sarge, department policy says I can work all the way up to the end of my pregnancy, but I can't be in the field after my first trimester. The SRU doesn't have any non-field positions, and I'm already thirteen weeks, so I'm pretty much out of time here."

Greg nodded. "I suppose that makes sense," he conceded reluctantly. "Although I hate to lose you, Jules. No temporary replacement is quite going to be quite up to your level."

"Boss, that isn't a temporary transfer request," Jules said. "Temporary transfers are only good for up to six months."

"So?"

Jules rolled her eyes. "So a pregnancy lasts nine months, Boss. Six months from now is right about when I'll be giving birth. It's going to be at least another three months, maybe closer to four or five, after that before I'm physically capable of passing my qualification checks for the SRU again. The department won't put you in the position of having a temporary team member for a full year."

"Jules, if I have to make a permanent hire, I can't guarantee you a spot on Team One when you come back. I can't even guarantee if or when there'll be a spot on any SRU team," Greg said. "Ever since they cut our teams down from seven to six, getting into the SRU has been tougher than ever. We've got people who've been on the qualified waiting list for well over a year and most of them will probably never see the inside of this building. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I don't like it, but I don't have much choice in the matter, Sarge. You know that I worked my ass off to get, and to keep, this job. It's been my life for the past five years, and I've loved every minute of it. Do I think that it's fair that I should have to choose between keeping my spot in the SRU and having a child? No, of course it's not fair. But I get the logic behind it, I do. And after the baby's born, I have every intention of working harder than I've ever worked to make sure that I come back to the SRU, wherever and whenever there's an open position. I don't care how long it takes or how hard it is, I _will_ be an SRU team member again."

"I have no doubt of that," Greg assured her. "I just want to be certain you're aware of the consequences if I put this request through."

"Unless you have an alternative, the way I read the rules is that my choice is the SRU or this baby," Jules said. "For the time being, until I get the chance to fight my way back here, I pick the baby."

Greg nodded. "Alright, well, I'll make a few calls this afternoon and see where I can find an opening for you to transfer."

Jules smiled as she stood up and accepted the hug that Greg offered. "Just so you know," she whispered in his ear as she put her arms around him. "If you stick me in some God damn paper-pushing hell hole like Financial Crimes, I will hunt you down and kick your ass, pregnant or not."

* * *

Twelve hours later, Jules found herself hovering hesitantly at the back of the mens' locker room, watching as her teammates each made their way one by one past Spike to offer their own version of condolences. She'd been cleaning out her locker when she walked past the dispatch station and heard the hot call come in to Winnie. It had broken her heart to stand there helplessly as her team fought, ultimately in vain, to track down and save Oliver MacCoy. Losing a fellow officer was never easy, but she'd heard enough on her end of the call to know that Sergeant MacCoy had been far more than just a training officer to Spike.

As she walked across the room toward Spike, she could feel Sam's eyes on her from the door, but she forced herself to ignore his stare. She'd called him at least half a dozen times since the night he'd walked out of the hospital, but he hadn't picked up or returned any of her calls. One full week and she hadn't heard a word from him. Even now, she didn't know if he was watching her because he was concerned or because he was surprised to see her. She didn't even know if Greg had told the team she was leaving yet.

"Thought you were off today," Spike commented as she approached him.

"You know me, I can't stay away from you, Scarlatti," she teased gently, not surprised when he didn't respond in kind like he normally would. "I had some paperwork to take care of, needed Sarge's signature on a few things."

Spike nodded silently.

"You know I'm here if you need anything, right?" Jules asked, placing her hand on his forearm.

"Yeah, I know," Spike said. "I just…I think I need some time alone right now, Jules."

"Of course," Jules agreed. "But even if I'm not around…don't forget you can always call me, no matter where I am. Okay?"

Spike nodded. "What do you mean, even if you're not around?"

Jules sighed. Obviously, the news of her transfer hadn't yet been made public knowledge. "I'm leaving the SRU, Spike," she admitted. "I don't know where I'm going yet, but Sarge is going to find me an opening somewhere."

Spike frowned. "You're leaving us? Why would you want to do that?"

"I don't want to, but I have to. I'm pregnant, Spike." Jules almost laughed at the shocked look on his face. "Don't worry, Scarlatti, it's not yours."

"Yeah, I, uh…wow," Spike muttered. "A baby?"

"So they tell me," Jules agreed. "I'll have to requalify after the baby's born, so for now, it's a transfer to a less directly-in-the-field role for me."

"We'll miss you," Spike said.

"I'll miss you too, Spike," she said. "But you know you're not getting rid of me that easily, Scarlatti. I'll still be around."

"I'll hold you to that."

Jules smiled sadly as she rose onto her toes and wrapped her arms around him. "I expect you to do that," she said, kissing his cheek before dropping back onto her heels. "Remember, any time, I'm just a phone call away."


End file.
